1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to composite materials.
2. Related Art
Composites are fiber-reinforced engineering structural materials, in which the fibers are continuous or long enough that they can be oriented to produce enhanced strength properties in one direction. Composites are made of a fiber component and a plastic or resin component. A common generic example of a composite is fiberglass. The principal driving force that led to the interest and investment in composite materials in the mid-1950s and 1960s was the demand for lower weight and higher rigidity for aerospace structures, electronics, sports equipment, and other applications. Composites are generally lighter than metals and can have similar structural properties to metals. Thus, composites are used as substitutes for metals in many applications especially in applications where lightweight materials are desired such as tennis rackets and sailboards.
However, composites are not generally suited for sheeting applications. Sheeting applications generally require smooth bendable materials that are also lightweight. Due to the desire for lightweight materials that are also smooth and formable, metal composites were developed. Metal composites are made of a metal component, a fiber component, and a resin component.
Metal composite sheeting is commonly used in applications where there is a desire to provide a light weight material covering such as paneling for a caravan. Methods for forming such metal composite sheeting are also known. For example, Sanadres et al., published U.S. application Ser. No. 2003/0031853, describes a method for manufacturing a laminated sheeting. The method includes unrolling a roll of resin impregnated textile between two metal sheets. The metal sheets are unrolled from respective metal sheet rollers. Thereupon, the impregnated textile core is heated between the two metal sheets for the purpose of curing the resin. However, sheeting containing two metal layers is relatively heavy and expensive. This renders the sheeting less suitable for use as finish for vehicles, trailers, caravans, and buildings. Although an improvement over a batch process, the method of Sanadres et al. is also relatively time consuming, which increases the production costs of the sheeting.
Flexible printed circuit boards have been manufactured in a similar manner using only one sheet of metal. For example, Zachariades, U.S. Pat. No. 3,810,816, teaches providing a fiber reinforced resin, a copper sheet, and a mylar cover layer onto a roller, rolling the tri-layer film under tension to eliminate entrapped air, and curing the resin. However, circuit boards require a whole different scale and entirely different properties compared to sheeting material.
Meuwissen et al., NL1020184, teaches a method for forming a laminated sheeting comprising rolling an aluminum layer and a fiber reinforced resin together on a roller; compacting the layers together through a series of press-on rollers; curing the compacted layers with UV-lamps; and rolling the completed laminate for storage and transport. However, Meuwissen et al. does not detail a pretreatment process for the aluminum layer. Thus, there is a need for an improved composite sheeting and method of manufacture comprising a single metal sheet layer wherein the sheeting demonstrates enhanced adherence of a fiber reinforced plastic layer to a metal sheet and enhanced corrosion resistance.